Snakes keeping things lively in the district

Fire Safety

By the Deer Springs Fire Safe Council

Deer Springs firefighters have responded to numerous snake calls and warns residents to be watchful in their gardens and yards.

CAL FIRE Capt. Terry Heidmann said that his station in Hidden Meadows is averaging four snake calls a week, and that local firefighters will remove a venomous snake if it is near your home and posing a threat.

“Fifty percent of our snake calls are rattlesnakes and the other 50 percent are nonvenomous gopher or king snakes,” Heidmann said, either of which are beneficial. Gopher snakes take care of your gopher problem, and king snakes prey on its serpentine nemesis, rattlers.

“With gopher snakes most people say just leave them loose in our garden, because they eat the rodents,” Heidmann said. And king snakes are immune to rattlesnake venom, so they have the edge in that contest.

You can reach a fire department dispatcher by calling 9-1-1 from your home’s land line, rather than your cell phone. If the dispatcher says that the fire department doesn’t respond to snake calls, call your local station. The phone numbers are inside this issue under Helpful Phone Numbers.